Final Exam Flashcards
A system where governmental power is divided into two or more levels
Federalism
Specifically granted
Enumerated powers
Greatly enlarges the scope of national power
Elastic clause
Legal process of returning an alleged criminal to the state in which he is charged
Extradition
Government programs initiated by FDR
New Deal
True/ False: The 16th Amendment is known as the income tax amendment.
True
True/ False: Thomas Jefferson was a strong defender of states rights.
True
True/ False: Full faith and credit means that states have the freedom to ignore the laws of other states.
False
True/ False: Implied powers are spelled out in the Constitution’s text but aren’t derived from enumerated powers.
False
True/ False: Politically speaking, the right prefers bigger government, while the left would prefer it to be smaller.
False
When the federal government allocates some of its tax revenues to the states
Revenue sharing
Combining several grants under a large umbrella
Block grants
Governed by the demographics of a given area
Formula grants
Given to state and local governments for a specific purpose and with certain guidelines
Categorical grants
Represent a major portion of the federal budget
Grants-in-aid
Grants permitting greater discretion in how much aide is given to the task at hand
Project grants
National and state governments are sovereign within their own spheres
Dual federalism
What factor makes it possible for states to differ from one another?
The Constitution gives states sovereignty over many aspects of their government
What is the proper nickname for the necessary and proper clause and why is it called this?
The elastic clause, because Congress is able to stretch the meaning of the clause in order to sanction its actions
Which constitutional amendment guarantees the reserved powers of the states and the people?
The 10th Amendment
How does the privileges and immunities clause protect American citizens?
It guarantees that a person’s rights cannot be set aside when he visits a different state
What event in America’s history significantly changed American’s perceptions of the federal government?
The Great Depression
True/ False: Two of the four obligations the Constitution places on the national government in relation to the states are the national government must honor the territorial rights of the state and it may not intervene if the state needs help in suppressing domestic violence.
False
True/ False: Robert E. Lee defended the rights of Virginia, while John C. Calhoun defended South Carolina.
True
True/ False: An exception to the full faith and credit clause is that states are not required to give full faith and credit in every case of divorce.
True
True/ False: State and national powers are derived from the Articles of Confederation and local power is derived from state power.
False
True/ False: States may distinguish between residents and non-ris dents concerning state university tuition and drivers’ licenses.
False
Organized to gain power by winning elections
Political parties
Usually organized around a particular issue
Minor parties
Strong devotion to a political party
Partisanship
A spirit of two-party cooperation
Bipartisanship
A temporary alliance of several groups
Coalition
True/ False: The convention was first used by the Anti-Federalist Party in 1831.
False
True/ False: A caucus is a large meeting of a party’s top leaders at the White House.
False
True/ False: In a political campaign, a political party and candidate try to attract voter support in an election.
True
True/ False: Most of today’s dictatorships have a one-party system of government.
True
True/ False: The spoils system involves the practice of giving jobs to friends and supporters.
True
Formed around a particular issue or agenda
Interest groups
Those who have no party affiliation
Independent voters
Smallest units of election districts and party administration
Precincts
Voting for candidates of both parties for different offices
Ticket splitting
Represents one of our two national parties and is currently choosing between Hilary Clinton and Bernie Sanders
Democratic National Committee
State-run election for the purpose of selecting the party nominee
Nominating primary
Small meeting of a party’s top leaders and legislators in Congress
Caucus
Generally known as one whose political view seeks to change the political, economic, and social status quo
Liberal
What is a political party’s major purpose?
To nominate or name candidates for public office
Democrats and Republicans dominate this system
Two-party system
Was first used by the Anti-Mason party in 1831 and is an assembly of party representatives
Convention
Represents one of our two major political parties and looks like it has picked Donald Trump
Republican National Committee
What districts are divided into in large cities
Wards
System of government most dictatorships have
One-party system
The practice of giving jobs to friends and supporters
Spoils system
Explain why multi-party systems aren’t as stable as what we have in the US.
In multi-party systems, many fashions divide the electorate making it difficult for one party to win a majority. Coalitions between these parties do not always hold together.
What does Madison say concerning the causes of political division?
The causes of political division are sown in the nature of man
When did political campaigning begin?
In Andrew Jackson’s campaign for president in 1828
List three ways third parties have influenced the American political system.
1) began the use of a national convention to elect a presidential candidate
2) can play an important role in election results
3) draws attention to specific issues that the major parties ignore or do not strongly support
Name three factors contributing to the fragmented nature of political parties.
1) membership strength
2) federalism
3) nominating process
True/ False: Widespread protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention led to major campaign reforms.
True
True/ False: The two major purposes of a political party are to nominate the party’s candidates for president and Vice President and to approve the party platform.
True
True/ False: A splinter party is usually formed over a personality conflict or policy conflict win a major party.
True
True/ False: By shifting the power focus from the party organization to the campaign organization, primaries have served to strengthen political parties.
False
True/ False: The major parties tend to increase extremism and separate diverse interests when it comes to broad principles.
False
Expenses by a person or group that communicates to the voters to help elect or defeat a candidate without the candidate’s knowledge or support
Independent expenditures
Campaign money raised apart from federal regulations
Soft money
To officially enroll for the purpose of voting
Register
Paid advertisements
Spots
Also known as a wide open primary
Blanket primary
Participants must be registered as members of one party and may only vote for candidates from that party
Closed primary
Elections held to select candidates and/or delegates to party conventions
Direct primary
Current office-holder
Incumbent
When one who intends on running for office lets the people know
Independent announcement
A process used to fill an elective office
General election
True/ False: Constituents are elected officials of a particular district.
False
True/ False: A straight ticket is when people vote for all the candidates in one party.
True
True/ False: Poll watchers are individuals appointed by political parties and candidates to observe the polls on Election Day.
True
True/ False: Campaign money raised for a specific candidate in federal elections and spent according to federal law is called tough cash.
False
True/ False: Absentee voters are the first in line to vote on Election Day.
False
If the Supreme Court had not banned the blanket primary in 2000, how could political parties have used it to their advantage?
Chapter 9
Using various techniques to select and manipulate info so as to persuade or influence people effectively
Propaganda
Socially offensive speech
Obscenity
Degrees of legal protection of confidentiality for the media
Shield laws
A public network that provides coverage of House and Senate proceedings
C-Span
People concerned with a particular issue such as abortion or gun control
Single-interest groups
True/ False: The AFL-CIO is the largest healthcare interest group in the country.
False
True/ False: A representative sample contains the opinions of people in a survey group.
True
True/ False: Straw polls are informal polls.
True
True/ False: Domestic policy includes diplomacy, trade relations, and war.
False
True/ False: The sum of government’s goals and actions made in response to public opinion is known as Public Policy.
True
Radio and television stations are licensed and regulated by the
Federal Communications Commission
Published false statements that injure one’s reputation
Slander
Means that the government cannot review and censor info before it is presented to the public
Prior restraint
Work on behalf of candidates deemed favorable to its goals
Political action committees
The attempt to influence public officials in support of a special group
Lobbying
The largest labor union in the USA
AFL-CIO
Voters who participate in elections and are included in a poll
Representative sample
Voters who have a pragmatic “whatever works” approach to politics rather than any firm ideology
Moderates
Those views held by private persons which governments find it prudent to heed
Public opinion
Reflects the relative importance of the issues- some at the top, others at the bottom
Agenda
Friend of the court
Amicus curiae
Gives the media and private individuals broad powers to investigate files of the federal bureaucracy
FOIA
Influence government officials about some political issue or group of issues
Interest groups
Preventing or delaying the passage of a bill
Filibuster
Composed of members from both the House and Senate and serve as an advisory board
Joint committees
If the president leaves a bill unsigned for ten days during a congressional adjournment, that bill is automatically vetoed
Pocket veto
Free postage
Franking privilege
The party with the most members in the House or Senate can decide who fills this role
Majority leader
True/ False: The selection of party leadership is made in a pro tempore.
False
True/ False: One delegate and four resident commissioners represent US territories and the District of Columbia.
False
True/ False: Single member districts have one representative elected from a given region.
True
True/ False: A census is an official count of every member of government held every 10 years.
False
True/ False: A House member is not required to reside in the congressional district he/she represents.
False
Two- house Congress
Bicameral
State legislatures redraw the congressional lines to reflect population shifts
Reapportionment
Members of different parties join together in support of or in opposition to a bill because of some common interest
Coalition
What are in charge of communications between party members in the House or Senate?
Majority and minority whips
A largely honorary position given to the most senior member of the Senate’s majority party
President pro tempore
One of the only congressional appointments actually named in the Constitution
Speaker of the House
Permanent and generally more powerful than other similar groups
Standing committees
Ad hoc (temporary) groups
Conference committees
What chamber of Congress is more Democratic and why?
The House, because it is based on population
List three of the major differences between the House of Representatives and the Senate.
1) House- 435 members vs. Senate- 100 members
2) House- 2 year limit vs. Senate- 6 year limit
3) House- high turnover vs. Senate- moderate turnover
What is the primary function of Congress?
To make laws that govern America
What financial benefits do members of Congress receive?
In addition to salaries, franking privileges as well as allowances for staff, offices, and travel
What are the stages a bill goes through to become a law?
1) introduced in either the House or the Senate
2) sent to a committee
3) if approved, voted on by the full chamber
4) if approved by both houses but with differences, sent to a conference committee
5) if approved, sent to the president
Why were the congressional elections of 1994 significant?
Marked the first Republican takeover of Congress since 1954, Newt Gingrich became first Republican Speaker of the House
What are the roles of the majority leader in the Senate and the Speaker in the House of Relresentatives?
Senate majority leader- Controls the flow of legislation
Speaker of the House- Presides in that chamber and makes decisions on legislation, debate, and service on committees
How does the president affect the enactment of laws?
He can sign them, veto them, or ignore them
Why does the Senate often take longer to pass legislation than the House takes?
Being a smaller body, the Senate is more informal, works more slowly, can debate at length, and has its work scheduled by the majority leader
Why are committee chairmanships important?
They decide whether to schedule hearings on a bill, write legislation, control a committee staff budget, and listen to those who want to influence legislation
True/ False: The Constitution began with a discussion of Congress in Article I because the framers valued Congress as a counter-balance to executive power.
True
True/ False: Cloture has nothing to do with filibusters.
False
True/ False: Generally, the Congress was more powerful in the 20th century, but the president was in the 19th century.
False
True/ False: Keeping district boundaries the same so as not to favor a political party is called gerrymandering.
False
Seemingly unnecessary trips abroad taken by politicians
Junkets
List three things about the judicial branch.
1) Supreme Court
2) nine judges
3) appointed for life
How does Romans 12:2 apply to the development of the one’s opinions?
The renewing of your mind may transform your thoughts on public policy
Identify the four stages of public policy development.
1) identifying issue
2) setting an agenda
3) formulating policy
4) implementation and evaluation
What are the basic modern implications of the words “liberal” and “conservative”?
Liberals- usually identify as favoring larger government
Conservative- usually identifies as being opposed to government expansion
Presidential directives having the force of law
Executive orders
Bring charges against the president or major federal officials
Impeachment
Term of office
Tenure
Yearly speech to the nation given by the president
State of the Union
When the president opposes a bill passed by Congress and refuses to sign it into law
Veto
True/ False: A pocket veto has nothing to do with the president.
False
True/ False: The 22nd Amendment restricted the amount of terms the president could serve.
True
True/ False: A president is considered a lame duck when he loses popularity with the American people.
False
True/ False: The line item veto allows the president to veto parts of the Constitution he doesn’t agree with.
False
True/ False: The president is kept in the dark regarding military covert operations in order to keep him safe.
False
How are executive and judicial branches of government involved in public policy?
Executive- executive orders, treaties, diplomatic orders
Judicial- legislation through court cases
Why must politicians be wary of public opinion?
Public opinion is always changing and may not be correct info
True/ False: Another name for an interest group is “influence group”.
False
True/ False: The media would never give certain info more extensive or prominent coverage to manipulate the public.
False
True/ False: Three of the five categories of interest groups are economic, single-interest, and civic.
True
True/ False: With opinion polls, different wording of specific questions never really leads people to make different responses.
False
True/ False: Some public opinion issues have lasting interest while others are short-lived.
True
What are three of the five chief functions of the presidency?
1) as chief executive, the president administers and enforces the law
2) as commander in chief, he can order overt military action and covert operations
3) as diplomatic leader, the president initiates and implements treaties and other activities connected with foreign policy
What influential function of the president was not included in the Constitution and was never envisioned by its framers?
The president being party leader and as party leader, the president chooses the policy-making personnel within his party and campaigns for fellow members of his party
What are the two most significant restrictions on the power of the president?
Limited tenure and the power of impeachment
Who were the only president ever to be impeached?
Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton
What two responsibilities does the Constitution place on the Vice President?
1) he is to succeed the president on the president’s death or disability
2) he is to preside over the Senate where he can cast the vote to break a tie
What is the executive office of the president, why was it formed, and what are its main offices?
1) the EOP is made up of White House offices and agencies that help develop and implement presidential programs and policies
2) it was formed in 1939 to help FDR meet the complex demands of a growing nation
3) the two main agencies are the national security council and the office of management and budget
What is the function of the president’s cabinet and how many departments does it have?
The cabinet assists the president in meeting his constitutional duties and the demands of the growing nation. Each cabinet member heads a major department of the executive branch. There are 15 cabinet offices.
What are some of the many pitfalls faced by the president?
The tendency to use his extraordinary power illegally or immorally or to allow the fawning attention to divert him from the just use of his authority
What is the difference between popularity and greatness?
Popularity- the ability to win the favor of many people, often doesn’t last very long
Greatness- transcends popular acclaim and focuses on immortal things
What are the six main presidential powers and the two main restrictions on these powers?
1) chief executive
2) commander in chief
3) legislative leader
4) diplomatic leader
5) chief of state
6) party leader
1) limited term of office
2) power of impeachment
What problem did the Brownlow Report address and what was the result?
The president’s need for assistance in handling his increased responsibilities, the result was the creation of the EOP
